The Fourth Insight

The Fourth Insight:  Too often humans cut themselves off from the greater source of this energy & so feel weak & insecure.  To gain energy we tend to manipulate or force others to give us attention & thus energy.  When we successfully dominate others in this way, we feel more powerful, but they are left weakened & often fight back.  Competition for scarce human energy is the cause of all conflict between people.

The Fourth Insight tells us that humans compete for energy with each other.  We do this unconsciously in every encounter.  By observing our own & others' interactions, we can become conscious of this competition & begin to understand the underlying nature of human conflict.  As we become more aware we will also come to realize that energy gained in this way doesn't last very long.  Further awareness brings us to the realization that the true energy we seek comes from a universal source.  We don't need to secure it from another person.

Becoming aware of how we discount ourselves helps us take responsibility for our part in a negative energy exchange.

Fixed ego positions foster a recurrent dramatic style called a control drama.  The positions describe three important attitudes.  These attitudes are defined as the Parent, Child, & Adult ego states.  The Parent ego state corresponds to the more aggressive "Intimidator" & "Interrogator" control dramas.  The Child ego state corresponds to the more passive "Poor Me" & "Aloof" dramas.  The Adult state, once it is expanded to include connection with the higher self, corresponds to the heightened state of synchronistic growth.  

Irrational power struggles always occur when we find ourselves losing energy because of someone's manipulation of our attention, & we fight back to control the situation.  
In order to begin to unhook ourselves from the need to control, the best thing we can do is focus on our feelings in the moment that we feel caught or anxious.  We need not analyze other people or try to change them.  All we need do is ask, "What am I feeling right now?  What do I need here?"  Once you have contacted your inner self & gut-level feelings, you can move into an adult mode - agreeing to disagree, not needing to win - then shift your attention to tapping into the universal source of energy.

". . . the surest way to make ourselves crazy is to get involved in other people's business, & the quickest way to become sane & happy is to tend to our own affairs."  ~Melody Beattie

Awareness of how we vie for energy is the first step toward reclaiming our own power.  Balance begins to be restored when we stop tapping into others for our energetic charge, & look inside ourselves for our connection to spirit. 

Once we stop depending on control as our only way to make things happen, our lives miraculously open up.  Letting the universe guide us puts the mystery back into our life & makes us feel truly alive. 

The purpose of the Fourth Insight is to help us recognize our need to control energy in interactions with others in order to feel a psychological lift.

The Fourth Insight is the awareness that humans have often cut themselves off from an inner connection with this mystical energy.  As a result we have tended to feel weak & insecure, & we have often sought to build ourselves up by securing energy from other human beings.  We do this by seeking to manipulate or dominate the other's attention.  If we can force the attention of another, then we feel a boost from the other's energy, making us stronger, but leaving that person weakened.  Often others fight back against this usurping of their strength, creating a power struggle.  All conflict in the world stems from this battle over human energy.
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Exercise 1.  Discovery of Self-Imposed Obstacles
Purpose:  To discover how you perpetuate unnecessary struggles to gain energy.

Part 1.  Discovering Self-Imposed Obstacles

The next time I have a specific situation that feels like a power struggle, I should consider how I might justify my position & prevent resolution.  I will come back to these questions when this problems arises. 

1.  Locking yourself into a position that feels like a power struggle
a.  Describe the situation briefly: 
b.  What are your feelings about the situation?
c.  What are you trying to accomplish?
d.  How would you like to feel in this situation?
e.  What are your most important need in this situation?
f.  How do you interact with the other person from your inner Parent or Child voice?
g.  Have you locked yourself into a position?

2.  Being Righteous
a.  How have you categorized the other person & kept looking for ways to reinforce this judgement?

3.  Making everything black or white
a.  How are you limiting options by looking only for a certain outcome?
b.  What are three more options?

4.  Focusing on the feeling of security
a.  What are you afraid of?

5.  Projecting your issues onto another
a.  How is this struggle showing you what you need to become aware of?
b.  Do you interpret the other person's actions through the filter of your own fears?
c.  Does he or she reflect some part of your own unwanted anger, hatred, sexual feelings, or judgements?

6.  Using perfectionism or confusion as an excuse for staying stuck
a.  Are you unwilling to move ahead until everything is "perfect" or because you are not "perfect" yet?
b.  Are you claiming to be confused instead of recognizing what you really want or need to do?

7.  Focusing on the struggle instead of looking for resolution
a.  Are you investing energy in this power struggle instead of taking responsibility & acting on your own issues?

8.  Focusing on problems to keep energy coming to you
a.  Are you focusing on this problem to keep yourself under the illusion of having something to control?
b.  What is the payoff for you to stay focused on this problem?

9.  Letting underlying fears ruin your life
a.  What is the worse outcome in this situation?
b.  What is an even worse outcome that (a)?
c.  What do you fear is even worse than (b)?
d.  Is your worst fear realistic in this situation?
e.  Finish this statement with your response to (c):  "This situation is bring run by my fear of . . ."

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Part 2.  Transforming Self-Imposed Obstacles

a.  What do you want from the other that you could do for yourself?  
b.  What could you do differently?
c.  What is an action that you would be willing to do to turn this situation around for yourself?
d.  How would you like the universe to support you in resolving this situation?
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Exercise 2.  Six Intentions That Help You Stay Connected to Universal Energy
Purpose:  The following list of intentions might help you integrate the Insights of The Celestine Prophecy into your relationships.

Become familiar with the following concepts, & practice them often during the day. 
*I am increasing my awareness of energy. ~Become aware of the energy moving between you & others.  When do you feel drained?  When do you feel energized?

*I have a strong internal connection to my higher self.  ~The best thing you can do for yourself & others is to take time to connect with your higher self.  Take a break from whatever you are doing every couple of hours & close your eyes.  Reconnect with a scene from nature or a loving exchange you've recently experienced.  Feel the sensation of love coming into your body.  Feel yourself expanding.

*My best decisions are made when I am connected to my inner wisdom.  ~Try not to make decisions when you are tired, hungry, angry, or under time pressure.

*Once I have made a decision, I follow through with appropriate action.  ~Following through with action gives you energy for the next step.  "Stay alert.  Pay close attention to everything that happens."

*I take time to reflect on important decisions.  ~Often when you are engaged in a power struggle, you are swept along & might make a decision you later regret.  If you feel pushed, rushed, or boxed in for any reason, take some time to get centered.  Have a "rescue statement" ready to use so that you can retreat from a situation where you feel pressured.  For example, "Gee, I'd really like to help you.  I'm not sure how to do that right now.  Let me think about it."  Or, "Sounds interesting.  Let me call you after I've had some time to think about it."  Stick with your statement.

*I trust that my process is taking me to a higher level of living.  ~Every time you feel empowered, you exist at a higher vibration.  Acknowledge any small steps that you take successfully.  At this new level of energy, you will feel as though you are attaining your destiny.  This feeling will attract more coincidences.
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Exercise 3.  Using New Behaviors

Purpose: To practice keeping your energy focused, yet free-flowing.
Directions:
a.  Choose one of the behaviors below.  Describe in your journal how you could apply it to a current problem.
b.  Choose one behavior & practice it for a week.  Do you feel increased energy & more open?  Do new opportunities come your way?

Behaviors To Keep Your Energy Focused & Free

~Stay present in the moment.
~Be your authentic self - be real.
~Pay attention to your feelings.
~Listen actively - clarify what you hear.
~Stay in your Adult ego state.
~Focus on how you want to feel.
~Tell the truth as you feel it.
~Let go of attachment to only one outcome.
~Let the mystery unravel.
~Stay open.

Your life has a purpose that is in the process of being revealed to you.  Keep your current questions in the forefront of your attention.  Whenever you need to, ask for more clarification from the universe.

"Change happens not by trying to make yourself change, but by becoming conscious of what's not working."  ~Shakti Gawain
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Meditation to Connect to Inner Wisdom

Step 1.  Sit or lie down in a comfortable position where you won't be disturbed for 15 to 20 minutes.  Bring your attention to your breathing & take a few deep breaths.  Let your body relax & let your mind become quiet.  Let go of each thought that arises.  Continue to let thoughts flow past without holding on to any.

Step 2.  Now bring your attention to the center of your being, wherever you feel it to be.  Imagine that your inner wisdom resides in this place.  In this deep, quiet place, you may bring any question or issue that you would like to know more about.  Ask your inner wisdom, "What do I need to know here?  What is this situation trying to show me?"  Listen quietly for any message from your intuition.  Remember any suggestions for actions to take.  Whenever you feel complete, end your meditation.

Step 3.  Take the actions your intuition indicated.  If you are on track you will feel more aliveness & doors will open.  Coincidence may increase.